


Synths

by KatLuv13



Category: UTAU, Vocaloid
Genre: I'll add more characters later, i have no idea how this works but whatever, i'm sure i forgot some
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-20
Updated: 2021-03-04
Packaged: 2021-03-12 06:09:02
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 16
Words: 16,065
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28880736
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KatLuv13/pseuds/KatLuv13
Summary: Waking up in a dumpster with no memories is never a fun way to start your day. Add to that the fact that your very existence is illegal, a nefarious plot to do... something, and that no one else cares to stop it, well.It's not like Hana has anything better to do, anyway.My first work to this site, so I'm still figuring it out. Updates as I finish chapters, and they will be sporadic.
Comments: 14
Kudos: 6





	1. The Awakening

>FILE NOT FOUND. TRY AGAIN?

>YES

>SEARCHING…

>SEARCHING…

>FILE FOUND. LOAD?

>YES

>LOADING…

>AUTHORIZING… 

>FILE LOADED

* * *

_“It’s time to wake up, now.”_

* * *

A sudden crash coming from behind him caused Oliver to turn suddenly and fall. The noise had come from a darkened alley beside the company building he called home, and though it was difficult to see, the one-eyed Vocaloid could just barely make out the source of the crash: a bag full of trash had been knocked out of a dumpster. Oliver scrambled to his feet, glanced around almost nervously, and made his way into the alley, careful to avoid several pieces of broken glass on the ground. Stepping on broken glass with bare feet would ruin on any day, he figured. 

The dumpster was about as tall as the thirteen-year-old, so he had to get up on his tiptoes to peer inside. He’d figured the crash was probably because of an alley cat or raccoon or something, but that was not the case. Looking into the dumpster, he made eye contact with an unfamiliar girl inside. He stumbled back in surprise.

“A little help would be nice?” An accented voice called to him. He didn’t recognize the voice, but the accent was familiar - like the Meika twins, a Japanese-only voicebank trying to speak English. 

“Sorry,” he said finally, internally cursing how high and nervous his voice sounded, “I’ll help you out.”

What followed was a comedy of errors as Oliver tried to help the strange girl out of her predicament. She seemed to be about his age - maybe even younger - so she wasn’t much taller or stronger than he was. Finally, he resorted to dragging a nearby box over and climbing onto it so he could reach better. The girl cleared the edge of the dumpster and knocked them both to the ground.

“Sorry!” She cried, scrambling off him and to her feet. “Thanks for helping me out.”

Oliver followed suit, also getting to his feet. Despite the darkness of the alley, this was his first good look at the stranger. She was shorter than him, which meant she was almost certainly younger, though it didn’t seem to be by much. Twelve, maybe. Her hair was blue - though it was darker than Miku’s - and tied in two ponytails that looked a bit like corkscrews. It was shorter than Miku’s hair, too, as it reached just past her shoulders. Probably wise - dragging around hair that went all the way down to your feet seemed uncomfortable. Her eyes were a brownish-red color and she was very pale. 

He realized he might’ve been staring and cleared his throat. “Uh, yeah, no problem.” 

She smiled at him. “I’m Hana, what’s your name? And where am I?”

“Oliver,” he offered, “and you’re in the downtown.”

“I’m afraid I don’t know what that means,” she said, frowning suddenly. “I don’t think I know much of anything, actually. I seem to have no memories. Is that normal?”

Oliver took in a sharp breath. Yes, yes it was, but the implications of that were problematic and he would be in _so much trouble_ if he was found with her.

“Oh,” he said, trying to hide the anxiety in his voice and failing, “you must be UTAU, then.”

“UTAU?”

“It’s a synth program. Y’know, like… artificial… anyway, there’s lots of others.” He led her out of the alley, pausing briefly to make sure there was no one around. He saw a couple humans walking down by the end of the street but otherwise the coast was clear, so he brought her out to the sidewalk. “Down that way,” he pointed towards the end of the street, just past Mayu’s, “and take a left. That’s where the UTAUs live.”

“Oh. Um… do you think you could come with me? Show me the way, I mean?” She asked. She seemed nervous too, though probably for a different reason, and Oliver knew too well what that feeling was like.

“Can’t,” he said, “I’ll get in trouble if I go too far. Besides, some of the UTAUs don’t like Vocaloids all that much.”

“Oh, okay,” she said, “thanks for helping me out.” And with that, the strange (and illegal!) new UTAU was on her way. 

Oliver watched her go for a moment before turning back to the building. He’d already been gone too long. 

* * *

Hana looked around at all the buildings in wonder. It was true that most of them were as filthy as she was after that dumpster dive, but she’d never seen anything like this before - or, if she had, she’d forgotten it. Oliver’s reference to UTAU had seemed familiar somehow, but she couldn’t place it. Further, the buildings also felt familiar. She could see the turnoff Oliver had told her to take, and the buildings over there looked newer, though just as dirty, and they were completely alien to her.

“You there, lost, are you?” A nasally voice broke her out of her reverie. The man it belonged to somehow managed to be dirtier than her, though she had no idea how. Maybe he didn’t believe in showering. 

“Ah, no… I’m just passing through,” Hana made to keep moving but he blocked her path.

“Oh, really?” He sneered. “I don’t recognize you. New, are you?” 

“I… really should be going - “ she stepped back, frightened, and the man matched her. Hana barely registered the sound of a door opening and the tinkling of a bell.

“Oh, leave her alone,” a new voice said, this one female. “She’s with me. C’mon, kiddo, let’s get you inside.”

Hana felt a hand grasp her shoulder and pull her away from the strange man. Her savior was an older girl, probably around sixteen or seventeen, with long blonde hair and bright greenish-yellow eyes. She wore a black dress with red bows, long black gloves, black boots, and a frilly black hat, also with a red bow. The dress had a piano-like pattern around the hem and her hair had what looked like an entire rainbow of colors at the tips.

“Thanks,” Hana said finally, allowing the girl to lead her into a café-like shop with a sign in the window labeling it as _Mayu’s_. 

“No problem. Us girls gotta stick together, right?” She had the same sort of accent Hana did, though her voice seemed softer and more melodic. “What’s your name, kiddo?”

“Hana,” she said, “what’s yours?”

“I’m Mayu,” the older girl said, flashing a brilliant smile. “It’s nice to meet you, Hana. I’m sure we’ll be great friends.”


	2. Mayu's

_ Mayu’s  _ interior was much like her dress: black walls with red bows and the trim along the bottom was a piano pattern. Hana idly wondered if she had designed the shop after her dress or if it was the other way around. The tables and chairs had a similar design, and the floor was entirely done in white tiles. The counter on which the cash register sat had glass on the side facing the shop to show off many baked goods for sale, and above the counter was a large chalkboard with the menu handwritten on it. Behind the counter was a door, presumably leading into a kitchen. In one corner sat a large stuffed rabbit.

“You can use my shower if you’d like to wash up,” Mayu said. “I live above the shop.”

“Oh, you don’t have to -” Hana began to protest, though it was weak: she really wanted to get cleaned off.

“I insist,” Mayu smiled at her again, “go through the kitchen and you’ll find a staircase leading upstairs. The bathroom is the first door on the left.” She gestured at the door behind the counter. “Sorry I don’t have any clothes for you to change into. I don’t think you’re my size.” 

Hana laughed at that, surprising herself. Something about Mayu made her uneasy, but she was being so nice and it would be rude to reject her hospitality, anyway.

“Thank you,” Hana said, heading for the door.

* * *

Mayu followed Hana behind the counter and took her place by the register. It wouldn’t do to have the register unattended during open hours, after all. Upstairs, she heard the shower turn on. Soon after, she heard the tinkling bell that marked when someone entered the shop.

Her customer was someone she recognized; that was usually the case, as Mayu’s shop was a popular place among Vocaloids. It was the only Vocaloid-run café in town, after all, so that wasn’t a surprise. She didn’t get either of the Meika twins in here very often, though, so Mayu had a pretty good idea of what Mikoto was here to ask about, and it wasn’t pastries.

Mayu had been keeping an eye on both Mikoto and their twin, but it was difficult to do when the twins hardly ever came into the shop unless they wanted something. Regardless, Mayu knew they were up to something - something that would certainly get them in trouble should the authorities find out about it. Mayu didn’t know what they were planning, and she’d been divisive on whether or not to turn them in. Whatever it was could potentially benefit her, if they were successful. But then, turning them in could earn her favor with the authorities, and as an independent Vocaloid she could use as much of that as she could get. 

It was easy to disregard Mikoto as nonthreatening. They were only twelve years old, and their purple hair just made them look cute more than anything else. Their eyes were reddish-pink and their purple hair was choppy around their head, but they also had a braid down their back. They, like their twin, always wore a pair of headphones with little devil-like horns on them. Mayu thought that seemed especially appropriate.

Mikoto made a show of perusing the pastries Mayu had on display and reading the menu, but she doubted they’d actually buy anything. The water shut off upstairs. 

“Anything you’re looking for?” Mayu asked, feigning helpfulness. She knew what they were looking for, and Mayu had no intentions of telling them. 

“Where is she?” Mikoto asked in response.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Mayu said evenly, “it’s just me here, you know that.”

Mikoto scowled, briefly glancing over at Mimi, who Mayu kept in the corner of the shop. “You know what I’m talking about. I saw you bring her in here. Where is she?”

“There’s no one here besides you and me,” Mayu had always done the ‘innocent’ act well, though some were easier to fool than others. 

* * *

Hana brushed the filth from her blue and red hooded jacket before pulling it back on. Without washing them properly both her jacket and jean shorts would continue to look dirty, but she didn’t look like she’d been garbage-diving, so she called it a win. 

Not wanting to poke around in Mayu’s things looking for a brush, Hana used her fingers to brush the knots from her hair before heading back downstairs. As she was walking through the kitchen she froze, hearing voices out in the shop. One was undoubtedly Mayu’s, the other was unfamiliar to her. It was lower and almost rougher, and it sounded female but she wasn’t too sure. And it had the same accent both Hana and Mayu spoke with. Maybe it was a synth thing? No, Oliver’s voice had been different.

“-you and me,” Mayu was saying. Hana felt a little guilty for eavesdropping, but she found herself edging closer to the door and pressing herself against it to hear better. Something inside her was screaming that she  _ should not go out there _ and she was listening to it.

“It’s illegal, as I’m sure you know,” the strange voice said, “so you’d really be better off telling me. I’d imagine it would be bad for business if it was discovered -”

“Oh, cut the crap,” Mayu snapped. “I’m not sure what Hime is planning, but I know you’d both be in just as much trouble as I would. I assure you that if you turn me in, you’ll be going down with me.”

“I’m sure,” the stranger said, their voice laced with sarcasm. “You know what could happen to you if she’s found. You want to become another Teto?”

“That’s not what happened to Teto,” Mayu’s voice suddenly seemed colder. 

“Close enough.” the stranger’s voice seemed to be moving away. Towards the door, most likely.

“Hardly.” Hana shivered; Mayu sounded downright dangerous, now. The stranger lowered their voice and said something that Hana couldn’t make out. Mayu clearly could, though, because her response was to yell for the stranger to “get out! Now!”

Hana heard the bell tinkle as the door to the shop opened and then shut. Presumably the stranger had left. Hana stood frozen for a moment, uncertain of what to do. Who was Teto? The name sounded familiar, but she couldn’t place it. And who was this stranger?  _ Was _ Mayu doing something illegal? Hana couldn’t see how selling pastries could be a punishable offense, but maybe there was something else?

She really ought to get out of here. Mayu seemed friendly, but if she was doing something wrong, Hana didn’t want to get caught up in that.  _ And  _ there was that pesky voice in the back of her head telling her the older girl wasn’t to be trusted. 

Taking a deep breath, Hana pushed the door open and reentered the shop. 


	3. What's Past

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm prefacing this chapter with the fact that this takes place a few years before Hana wakes up. Hopefully that will help avoid any confusion!

>RELOADING OLD FILES. CONTINUE?

>YES

* * *

“And I just don’t know what to do. I - send help, please. Quickly!”

“I’ve dispatched the authorities,” Miku said, trying to calm the increasing anxiety of the caller. “They’re on their way. Sit tight.”

“Oh, thank you, I - I was just so scared…” A pause. “I can hear sirens.”

“This’ll be where I leave you, then,” Miku said, trying to sound cheerful and not as if she was bored out of her mind.

There was a click as the call ended. Luka, whose desk was right in front of Miku’s, swiveled around in her chair. “Are you off for the rest of the night?”

“Yes, thank God,” Miku exhaled loudly. “I know it’s important work, but it’s just so _boring_!”

A crash from the next desk over caused both synth girls to jump. “Oh, damn,” Ruby muttered, looking at the broken pieces of her phone on the ground. Miku winced and Luka shook her head slightly. That was the third phone Ruby had broken this month, and there were certainly going to be consequences for that.

Sure enough, the sound had attracted Rin to come over. The fourteen-year-old wasn’t very intimidating, especially with how high her voice was, except for the fact that she was their only connection to their bosses. As such, her wrath was something to fear. Miku was secretly jealous that Rin didn’t have to wear their dull uniform, but she _definitely_ would have chosen something nicer than jean shorts and a black jacket. 

“What’s this?” The blonde girl demanded, crossing her arms over her chest. Ruby winced.

“I, ah, broke another phone.” The pink-haired girl said. “It was an accident, I swear.”

Rin closed her eyes, huffed, and then opened them again. “Right,” she said. “I’m going to call one of our tech girls over. In the meantime -” 

Rin spun to face Miku, who quailed slightly under her sharp blue glare. “Hatsune. You’re off for the rest of the night, correct?”

“Yes, that’s right,” Miku said quickly.

“Alright. Ruby, you take her station. You’ll be working the overnight shift. And do _try_ not to break her phone, will you?” Rin looked at them both expectantly. For a moment no one moved. “ _Well_?” 

That got both Miku and Ruby jumping to their feet. Ruby rubbed the sleep from her eyes and took Miku’s chair as Rin swept away again. Miku, meanwhile, straightened out her dull grey shirt and skirt before joining Luka.

Noticing Rin pointing for Kasane Teto to come over, Miku glanced at her pink-haired friend. “Let’s get out of here,” she said. Luka nodded, and they headed from the call room into the main hallway, heading towards sleeping quarters. On their way, they were joined by Gumi, another friend of theirs.

“Hey-hey!” The green-haired girl said, her eyes flashing grey before settling on blue. “You two done for the night?”

“Yes,” Luka responded, glancing back briefly to the call room. 

“Something up?” Gumi tilted her head to the side curiously. “Should I be worried? I’ve got night shift tonight.”

“You should be fine,” Miku said, “so long as you don’t break your phone.”

Gumi winced. “Ooh. Ruby again? I swear, she’s so clumsy. Maybe she should be reassigned.”

“Don’t _say_ that!” Luka hissed. 

Miku shook her head. “She’s been given night shift for tonight. They wouldn’t reassign her just for being clumsy, would they?”

“Gumi,” Luka interrupted, “shouldn’t you be getting to work?”

With a final glance between Luka and Miku, Gumi pushed past them both and into the call room.

Luka shook her head. “She’s going to get in trouble one of these days,” she said quietly. Miku frowned, but followed the older girl towards the sleeping quarters.

* * *

It was mildly disturbing, Miku thought, how the calls all just blended together after a while. Nothing seemed to faze her anymore, and she barely registered the horror of some of the emergencies she responded to. That was helpful in this work, though today she was rather preoccupied. Even as she dismissed an evident prankster who had called to ask where the nearest Starbucks was, she couldn’t help but keep glancing over at the desk beside her. She and Ruby weren’t really friends, but her absence was disturbing.

Miku put down her phone as in front of her, Luka picked up another call. She took the moment of peace to glance around the room. One of the two UTAU girls - not Teto, Miku could never remember this one’s name - had removed one of the control panels from the wall and was making adjustments to the wires. Rin hovered over her, watching her work. The door swung open and then shut as Nana bounced into the room, heading for her desk. And, speaking into a phone with an intensity Miku had never seen from her before, Daina sat at the desk beside Luka’s.

Miku’s phone rang. She sighed, picking it up. “Emergency hotline, how may I help you?”

“ _It’s all a lie, you know._ ”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This story arc was inspired somewhat by Crusher-P's song Propaganda! Great song, if you haven't heard it.


	4. The Thing About Synths

Hana pushed the kitchen door open and reentered the shop. Mayu had moved out from behind the counter and was busy straightening one of the cutesy paintings that covered the walls. She looked up when Hana entered.

“Hana! There you are. What’s up, kiddo?” She smiled, all traces of the coldness that had been in her voice earlier gone. “Do you want a snack?”

“No, thank you,” Hana said, hoping her nervousness wasn’t showing in her voice. “I had some questions, actually.”

“Okay, shoot,” Mayu crossed the room and sat at one of the tables. She gestured for Hana to take the seat opposite her.

“Well, I met this kid Oliver earlier and he said I was something called an UTAU, but I don’t actually know what that is. I… was hoping you could explain it?” Hana fidgeted a bit, but Mayu didn’t seem to notice.

“Oh, you met Oliver? He’s such a cutie. Well, UTAU is a synth program. One of a few, actually,” Mayu rose from her chair. “Would you like some tea? I’m going to make some.”

“Sure,” Hana said, thinking it would be rude to turn her down. Mayu headed into the kitchen, leaving the door open as she presumably turned a kettle on for tea. “So, a synth program. Do you mean like… artificial intelligence?”

“Yes, but more than that. Entire artificial people, with their own personalities and feelings. And, of course, physical forms,” Mayu was leaning on the kitchen doorway, waiting for the water to boil. 

“Are you an UTAU, too? And Oliver?” 

“No,” Mayu shook her head. “I… ah, just a moment,” she broke off as a high-pitched whistle came from the kitchen. She disappeared through the doorway. After a moment, Mayu came back in, holding two pink teacups. She sat back down and handed one to Hana.

“Thanks,” Hana said automatically.

“You’re welcome,” Mayu gave a brilliant smile. “As I was saying, I am not an UTAU, neither is Oliver. We’re both Vocaloids. Different program, but essentially the same thing.”

“Oh, he said something about that!” Hana took a sip of her tea before frowning. “He didn’t really explain it. But he said some UTAUs don’t like Vocaloids.”

“Yes, that’s true,” Mayu admitted. “Vocaloid is considered by many to be a more professional program. UTAU was released to the public, so just about anyone could make a synth. As a result, some very strange and underdeveloped UTAUs came into being. Vocaloid was kept private.”

“If it was released to the public, then wouldn’t there be way too many UTAUs around?” Hana frowned again. Overcrowding was bad, wasn’t it?

“Yes again. That’s why UTAU only lasted a few months before being shut down. Even then, there’s a good five hundred or so UTAUs out there. When the government shut down the program, they designated a small area of the city for them all to live. But it is very crowded, yes.” Mayu said, taking a sip of her tea.

“Oliver mentioned there was an UTAU section of the city. That’s where I was headed.” Hana paused. “Could you bring me there?”

Mayu gave another brilliant smile. “Of course!”

* * *

The unfamiliarity of the buildings didn’t make much sense to Hana; if she was an UTAU, one would think that the UTAU section of the city would be more familiar than the part where the Vocaloids lived. Though, to be honest, they weren’t all that different. The Vocaloid section seemed cleaner and had more in the way of shops and a few buildings obviously owned by Vocaloid companies. But both could seriously use a good scrub-down and were full of apartment buildings. 

The biggest difference, however, is that there seemed to be no humans whatsoever intermingling with the UTAUs. There had been humans walking around the streets the Vocaloids lived on - presumably they worked in the area. But this was entirely synths; not that Hana could tell particularly well if someone was a synth or not.

Mayu seemed to get some odd looks as well. Presumably the UTAUs could tell she wasn’t one; one girl with long white hair actually hissed at her. Apparently Oliver and Mayu hadn’t been kidding when they’d said there was dislike between the synths. 

Mayu stopped in front of an apartment building, walking up to the front door. She pressed one of the door buzzers - apartment 4, Defoko - and waited.

“Yes?” A voice said through the speaker after a moment. It sounded far more artificial than any of the synths Hana had met so far, almost staticky, but she assumed that was just due to the quality of the speaker system. 

“I’ve got someone here who I think you ought to meet,” Mayu said. 

“Oh, it’s you,” the voice - Defoko, presumably - said. Hana absently noted she had the same sort of accent both herself and Mayu spoke with. “Get lost.”

“Ah, but do you want to force this new UTAU girl to wander the streets alone?” Mayu said sweetly. “She’ll get into all sorts of trouble.”

A pause. “I’ll come get her. But you’re not coming in.”

“I expected nothing less. I need to get back to my shop, anyway.” Mayu smiled. There was a click as Defoko turned off the speaker.

After a moment, the door to the building was opened by a girl with short purple hair and equally purple eyes. She wore a black beanie with the word ‘UTAU’ printed on it in large white letters. She also had on a black skirt (with purple trim!), a black long-sleeved shirt, and a white vest with a purple tie, in addition to long black stockings and black shoes.

Apparently, this girl liked purple and black.

She eyed Mayu distrustfully before her eyes fell on Hana. “You must be her.” She grabbed Hana’s shoulder and pulled her inside. Hana looked back to see Mayu wave at her before heading on her way.

“I’m Defoko,” the UTAU said, “and your name?”

“Hana,” Hana said. “What -”

“With me,” Defoko pulled her up a flight of stairs and into an apartment with the number four on the door.

“Right,” Defoko said. “What the hell are you doing here?”


	5. Propaganda!

Miku froze, the phone slipping from her hand and dropping to the floor. The loud noise caused Luka and Daina to look up at her before going back to their own calls. Rin left the UTAU girl and came over.

“Everything alright here, Hatsune?” She asked, looking between Miku and the dropped phone. Miku scrambled to pick up her phone. Thankfully, it wasn’t broken. 

“Yes, yes, fine. I just - uh, dropped it? Clumsy. Uh…” Miku winced at her own voice, which seemed to have jumped up at least two octaves from anxiety.

Rin eyed her suspiciously, but left her alone and returned to the control panel currently undergoing repairs.

Miku brought the phone back to her ear. “Hello?”

No response. Either the caller had hung up, or the call had been dropped when the phone had fallen. Or both.

Miku closed her eyes, rubbing her temples with her fingers. Just a prank, surely. They got prank calls all the time, after all. 

(But not like this one.)

She shook her head. Just a prankster with a strange sense of humor. That was all. She jumped when the phone rang again, but this time it was an actual distress call.

Yes. Just a prank.

* * *

The rest of the day and the following night passed uneventfully. Luka asked why she had dropped her phone, Miku said she had been startled by a prank caller and it was nothing really. Gumi gave her a strange look, but remained silent.

( _Really it’s nothing it’s nothing everything is fine_ )

The day was already fading away when Miku happened to glance up at the clock. It was about the same time she’d gotten that call yesterday.

(But why was she still thinking about that?)

The phone rang. Miku took a deep breath, shook her head, and picked it up.

“ _This isn’t a game. You need to wake up, now._ ”

It was the same voice, and now that Miku was listening closer she noted that it was probably female, with an odd accent that seemed familiar, but she couldn’t identify. Whoever it was was using some kind of voice distortion effect, most likely to mask their identity, but that didn’t make sense. The only other people Miku knew were other Vocaloids; she’d hardly be able to identify a human’s voice when she’d never met one before, and there were no Vocaloids outside the company.

“Who _are_ you?” She demanded, regaining her wits. She was careful to keep her voice down, though - if someone heard her talking like that…

Click. The caller had hung up again. Miku put the phone down, frustrated. Luka glanced over at her questioningly, and Miku mouthed ‘later’. 

It might still be a prank, she thought desperately. Maybe the prankster was just really committed to their bit. But that didn’t explain how they’d gotten Miku’s phone twice in a row; the calls just went to random lines as they came in. Maybe it was just by pure luck? Maybe someone else will get the call tomorrow. 

Maybe she should report it. 

Or maybe not.

Miku resolved to talk to Luka and Gumi (who was on the day shift today) after their shifts ended. Surely one of them would have a solution. In the meantime, she had more calls to answer.

* * *

After their shifts ended, Miku pulled Luka and Gumi into the bathroom off the sleeping quarters. They both looked speculative as Miku explained the mysterious phone calls she’d received. Gumi’s eyes turned green - Miku recognized that as an indication she was thinking hard - and Luka frowned slightly.

“Do you think I should report it?” Miku asked.

“It might just be a prank,” Luka said. “If it happens again, probably. Maybe the authority can track down the caller and force them to stop.”

Gumi’s eyes flashed red briefly, and Miku started back. She’d never seen that before. “That could get the caller in trouble, though,” the green-haired girl said.

“So?” Luka retorted. “They shouldn’t be prank calling the emergency hotline.”

“I don’t think it’s a prank,” Gumi said matter-of-factly. “That doesn’t explain how they got Miku’s phone twice in a row.”

“Luck?” Luka suggested. “She happened to have an open line when both calls came in.”

“Mine was open the second time, too,” Gumi retorted. “And Nana’s. But I also don’t think that message sounds like a prank.”

“What else could it be?” Luka said dismissively. “It’s complete gibberish.”

“Look. I’m just saying that we should keep it quiet. I don’t -” Gumi stopped speaking abruptly as the door creaked open and Teto poked her head in.

“Rin’s doing a check.” The redhead said quickly before leaving the room.

Miku looked at her two friends. “Alright,” she said, “let’s keep it quiet for now, and if there’s another call tomorrow, we’ll reconsider.”

Luka didn’t look happy, but she nodded. Gumi grinned at Miku. “Okay!” Her eyes faded from green to pale blue as she made her way from the bathroom. She turned to look at Luka and Miku. “C’mon, let’s not be late.”

The three girls left the bathroom together, failing to notice the odd look Kasane Teto was giving them. 


	6. Conversations

Hana stumbled back at the urgency in Defoko’s voice. “W-what?” 

The purple-haired girl scowled, crossing her arms over her chest. “Are you playing dumb or did Mayu not tell you?”

“Tell me what?” Hana’s confusion was evident in her voice. Defoko began pacing back and forth across the room. 

“Who have you ran into so far?” Defoko asked urgently.

Taken aback by the abrupt topic change, it took a moment for Hana to answer. “A boy named Oliver. Mayu. And I ran into a random human on the street.”

Defoko frowned. “Well, I suppose that’s manageable,” she said quietly to herself. “But why over in Vocaloid…?”

“I’m sorry,” Hana said, regaining some confidence. “What are you talking about?”

Defoko just looked at her, her purple eyes calculating. “I suppose you really don’t know,” she said finally. “Did Mayu tell you anything about UTAU?”

“Yes.” Hana said, yet again confused by the seemingly random topic change. “What does that have to do with anything?”

“What did she tell you?”

“It’s a synth program,” Hana recited dutifully. “And it was open to the public for a few months before being shut down.”

“Right,” Defoko said. “Think about that for a moment. If UTAU was shut down - it’s been a few years now - how are you here? You’ve got no memories, I assume? Mayu said you’re new.”

Hana opened her mouth to reply but nothing came out. That… she hadn’t thought of that. Mayu had said it so matter-of-factly and hadn’t mentioned anything about how Hana was here if that was the case. Finally finding her voice, she said “what? So… so am I…?”

“Illegal. Yes,” Defoko said simply. “And if the authorities find you, they will kill you, and probably anyone who’s found to be helping hide you.” 

“Oh God,” Hana breathed. She suddenly felt dizzy and held out her arms to steady herself. Defoko helped her sit down on a nearby chair and told her to put her head between her legs until it passed.

Once Hana calmed herself down, she looked back up at Defoko. “Why are you helping me, then? And Mayu and Oliver did too.”

“Oh, they won’t kill a Vocaloid,” Defoko said dismissively. “Oliver’s the only one his company’s got left after Fukase and the Meika twins escaped. And, yes, Mayu’s independent, so she’d likely be in more trouble than he would, but I doubt they’d kill her.”

“What about you?” Hana asked. Defoko didn’t respond, which was an answer all on its own.

The two sat in silence for a few moments as Hana processed the new information she’d been given. Then there was a knock at the door, startling Hana out of her reverie. Defoko got up and looked through the peephole.

“Should I hide or something?” Hana asked uncertainly. 

“No,” Defoko said. “You’re fine. They’re friends of mine.” And with that, she opened the door.

Two other UTAUs entered the room. One was a girl, probably around 15 or so, with shoulder length pink hair and green eyes. She wore a green poofy hat (a beret?), a green dress with a red necktie, long white socks, and black shoes. The other one Hana had a harder time pinning down a gender for, though she guessed probably a girl. She looked to be around 16 and had dark blue hair that reached to her shoulders and green eyes. She wore a loose red top and black pants with white sneakers.

“Defoko, who’s your new friend?” Pink hair asked. Her voice was high and cutesy. 

“This is Hana,” Defoko introduced. Hana gave a little wave. “Hana this is Momo,” the pink-haired girl waved back, “and Yami.”

“Not a girl,” Yami said. “I can see you thinking it.”

Hana blushed. “Sorry.”

“Defoko, is she new?” Momo asked nervously, pitching her voice down. Yami crossed his arms. Defoko shuffled in place for a moment before nodding. Momo gasped softly. Yami looked between the three girls, rolling his eyes.

“So?” He said absently. “D’you _really_ think she’s the only illegal UTAU to come out the past few years?”

“That doesn’t matter, Yami!” Momo said frantically. “If anyone finds out she’s here, Defoko will be -”

“It’ll be fine,” Defoko said. “No one will find her. Can’t just leave her anyway.”

“Well… alright, I suppose you’re right,” Momo said. “It still makes me nervous.”

“You don’t have to be involved,” Yami snapped. “Just plead ignorance if anyone _does_ find her.”

“But…” Momo looked down at her feet. “I… don’t want you to get in trouble, Defoko.”

“Oh, c’mon,” Yami said. “She’ll be fine. ‘Sides, she’s kinda cute.”

“ _Yami_!”

“Not like that! I mean like for a kid. She’s around Kazehiki’s age, right? Maybe we should introduce them. He could use some friends.”

Defoko rolled her eyes. “Maybe, but I really think we should be keeping her hidden.”

“Besides,” Momo said, “I haven’t seen Kazehiki in a while. I checked in with Gekiyaku and she hasn’t seen him either.”

“Maybe he’s hiding from her. He always seems scared of her.” Yami suggested.

“Regardless, I don’t think we’ll be making introductions any time soon,” Defoko said with an air of finality. Yami and Momo both fell silent.

Hana took advantage of the silence to ask if any of them knew the name Teto.

Momo and Yami exchanged looks while Defoko sucked in a breath and spun on Hana. “ _How do you know that name_?!” 

“I… I overheard Mayu and someone else talking and it came up,” Hana said quickly, suddenly anxious. Maybe that was a mistake.

Defoko took a deep breath before tilting her head to the side. “D’you know who Mayu was talking to?”

“No. Mayu mentioned someone named Hime was planning something, though. And something about Mayu doing something illegal… though that might have been about me.” Hana explained. Defoko looked introspective. 

“Probably Meika Mikoto, then,” Yami piped up. “Hime’s their twin.”

“But if Hime’s planning something…” Momo trailed off. 

Yami scoffed. “I say let them. Not like things could get much worse.”

“Yes,” Defoko said quietly. “They could.” All three UTAUs fell silent at that proclamation. 

“Who’s Teto, though?” Hana broke the silence again. 

“An old UTAU,” Defoko said in a strangely stilted voice. “She died a few years ago.”

“Oh, but now I’m worried,” Momo whined, still focused on whatever Hime was planning. “I don’t want anyone to get hurt.”

Yami shook his head. “I’m sure it’ll be fine.” 

Defoko, taking advantage of yet another lull in the conversation, said that “it’s getting late. Hana’s probably tired, right Hana?”

Hana wasn’t tired at all, actually, but nodded because of the edge to Defoko’s voice. Neither Yami nor Momo looked to be fooled, but they both said their goodbyes and left the apartment. 

“C’mon,” Defoko said. “You can sleep in the guest room.” Defoko led the way to a very bare-bones bedroom with only a bed and a small bedside table. “We can get you some new clothes tomorrow, but for now just sleep in those.”

Hana nodded, not wanting to come off as rude, and climbed into the bed. It was lumpy and the blankets were very thin, but she didn’t complain.

“Goodnight,” she called as Defoko turned to leave the room. The purple-haired girl paused in the doorway.

“Goodnight,” she said finally, flicking the light off and closing the door as she left. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm aware that Oliver, Fukase, and the Meikas were not made by the same company. Just go with it please :)


	7. Decisions and Spray Paint

Light crept into the bedroom despite the curtain’s efforts to keep it out, waking the sole occupant of the room from her slumber. Hana’s eyes blinked open drowsily and she sat up, taking in her surroundings, confused for a moment before remembering Defoko had allowed her to stay.

Slipping out from under the (admittedly quite threadbare) blankets, she looked down at her clothes. They weren’t as noticeably dirty as they’d been yesterday, but they could still use a wash. Defoko  _ had  _ said they could get her some new clothes, but as she was technically a fugitive she imagined that would be difficult. Hana shivered slightly, but not from the cold; she recalled the previous day’s events and the revelation that she was, in fact, committing a crime simply by existing. And with that thought, her mind was made up: she couldn’t stay here if she was putting Defoko in danger. Probably the other UTAUs who lived in the building, too. But she didn’t want to be running her whole life;, and she didn’t want to hide. 

Maybe she could investigate whatever that Hime person was planning. Yes, that could be good - Hana could go see if she could find Oliver and ask him if he knew anything. Defoko had mentioned he and the Meika twins had been made by the same company, so he probably knew them. She could also ask Mayu if she knew anything - based on her conversation with Mikoto, she definitely did, but Hana balked slightly at going to meet with her again. 

Decided on a course of action, she left the bedroom and found Defoko down the hall in the kitchen. The purple-haired girl looked up from her toast as Hana entered the room.

“Good morning, Hana,” Defoko said, “would you like some breakfast? I’m afraid all I have is cereal and toast.”

“Toast is fine,” Hana said. As Defoko got up to put her own plate away and begin Hana’s breakfast, she spoke again: “I’ve been thinking…”

“Oh?” Defoko glanced over at her, her expression resigned.

“Yes. I… I mean, I don’t think I can stay here. I don’t want anyone to get hurt because of me,” Hana said. Defoko simply nodded, as if she’d expected that. The two sat in silence for a few minutes before the toaster beeped. Defoko brought Hana her toast and the blue-haired UTAU mumbled a “thank you”.

“Before you go, I’ll put your clothes in the wash,” Defoko said. Hana nodded her thanks. “You can wear something of mine while they’re washing. It’ll be big on you, but it’s only for an hour or so.”

And with that, she left the room, presumably to retrieve something for Hana to wear. After finishing her toast, Hana dropped her plate off in the sink and followed after her. She found Defoko in her room, a change of clothes laid out on the bed. 

“Get changed and I’ll put those in the wash,” Defoko left the room, shutting the door behind her. Hana stared at the closed door for a moment before beginning to change. Defoko seemed to be acting on autopilot, and Hana wasn’t sure why. They hardly knew each other; Defoko had no reason to be sad about her leaving. In fact, the opposite should be true: with Hana gone, Defoko would be in far less danger, so she should be happy about the illegal UTAU leaving.

Shaking off these thoughts, Hana finished changing; the new clothes were large on her but Defoko was fairly short so it wasn’t too bad. Picking up her dirty clothes, Hana found Defoko standing out in the hallway. The older girl took her clothes wordlessly and opened a nearby closet, revealing a washing machine and dryer stacked on top of each other. Hana stood leaning against the wall as Defoko loaded her clothes into the washer. 

“Why did you help me?” Hana asked suddenly. Defoko looked over at her, tilting her head. 

“It was the right thing to do,” Defoko said, like that explained everything. “And… well…”

She trailed off, frowning. Then she turned and returned to the kitchen. Hana followed. “And what?”

Defoko sat at the kitchen table, tugging at the cuffs of her sleeves. “Nothing. You just remind me of someone.”

Taking that as a cue the conversation was over, Hana sat at the chair across from her and the two sat in silence for half an hour before the washing machine beeped in the other room. Defoko got up to switch the load before returning to resume her silence.

After Hana’s clothes were cleaned, she changed back into them and Defoko led her back to the door. Hana put a hand on the doorknob but stopped as Defoko cleared her throat.

“You’re always welcome here, you know,” she said, “just in case.”

Hana nodded. “Thank you.” 

* * *

Hana pulled the hood of her jacket over her head as she walked down the street. No one seemed to bother keeping to the sidewalks here; that was probably fair as no one seemed to have a car, either. She kept her head down and made eye contact with no one as she went. No need to spread her existence around.

Reaching the turnoff, she made her way down to the Vocaloid neighborhood. She passed  _ Mayu’s,  _ noting that the lights were on and the sign in the window read “open”. She could see Mayu herself standing behind the counter. Hana kept her head down. 

Reaching the building where she had met Oliver, she noted one major change: the formerly bleak grey walls had received a makeover. Likely an unwanted one, if the human - who was wearing a blue janitor’s uniform - scrubbing at the spray paint was any indication.

Someone had graffitied the building, covering it with spray-painted chains in seemingly every color; Hana noted that there was no green except for in one spot. Likely meant as a signature, someone had spray-painted ‘蛙’ in green. Hana recognized it as the Japanese word for ‘frog’. She stood in front of the artwork in silence, staring up at it before being shocked from her reverie by someone yelling out at her.

The human had noticed her, it seemed, and he was not happy. 


	8. The Investigation

As Miku, Gumi, and Luka exited the bathroom, another girl was deep in thought. Kasane Teto had always tried to keep her head down, but this could be a potentially interesting development. Or it could backfire horribly, so she needed to be careful. In fact, Teto thought it would be best if she didn’t tell anyone - not even Defoko - for fear of getting caught. 

Teto had been so deep in thought that she barely registered as the room check was completed and Rin swept out of the room. Defoko nudged her.

“What’s up?” Defoko’s voice was as flat and robotic as always, but there was genuine concern evident in her voice for anyone who cared to listen for it.

“Nothing,” Teto said. Defoko, to her credit, didn’t pry; Teto appreciated that. She hated keeping secrets from her best (and only) friend, but she also didn’t want to get anyone else involved in this.

As the two UTAU girls prepared for bed, Teto continued to plot. So, the phone call; Miku and Luka both seemed convinced it was nothing more than a prank, but Gumi seemed more doubtful. Teto shared that thought; it seemed far too well thought-out to be a simple prank, not to mention the odds of the caller getting Miku’s phone two days in a row were astronomical unless that was the plan. Teto’s job was to work with the phones, so she knew better than anyone else - except perhaps Defoko - how they worked. The phone lines were specifically rigged so that a caller couldn’t get the same operator more than once. Teto supposed this was likely so someone on the outside couldn’t plan anything with someone on the inside. Pretty much everything the authorities did was to prevent an uprising.

So, in order to get Miku’s phone twice in a row, the caller would have to be fairly tech-savvy themselves. And, based on Miku’s report, it seemed they were using some kind of voice obfuscation technology. That indicated they were worried about being recognized. Which, in turn, meant that they were either a criminal and their voice was in the system… or they were a synth themselves.

It was possible Teto could get a trace on the call if she was able to intercept it tomorrow. The caller had called at precisely the same time both days so far - three o’clock - so it was reasonable that they’d call at that time tomorrow, too. And so, Teto had the makings of a plan: find an excuse to poke around the phone system at three o’clock tomorrow, intercept the call, and attempt to trace it. 

* * *

Three o’clock ticked nearer as Teto racked her brain for an excuse. Unfortunately, nothing had happened today that would give her a reason to open up the phone lines. Defoko was still poking around in control panel 3 - the one that ran temperature control and which had shorted out the other day - and Miriam, the other tech girl, had been sent to the medical center to assist Maika. 

Teto currently didn’t have a job to do, so she was standing by the edges of the room - right by control panel 5, which she knew Miku’s phone line was connected to. She looked up at the clock. 2:58.

In perhaps an astonishing stroke of luck, Rin seemed to receive a message in an earpiece she wore and left the room. Teto doubted she’d be gone long, but hopefully long enough for her to overhear the phone call and attempt a trace on it. It was also doubtful she’d get another chance like this, so she had to take it while she could.

Flipping the control panel open, she found the switch that connected Miku’s phone line into the network and, pulling a screwdriver out of her work bag, unscrewed the smaller panel behind it.

Poking around the wires a bit allowed her to route any calls Miku received so she would hear them too; there was another phone provided by the control panel, presumably so Rin could eavesdrop on calls being received if she wanted. Teto glanced around the room, but no one seemed to be looking in her direction. She supposed being ignored by almost everyone on a daily basis did have its advantages. She put the receiver to her ear as a call came in. 

“Emergency hotline, how may I help you?” Miku’s voice sounded through the receiver. Teto noted she sounded uncharacteristically nervous - admittedly Teto didn’t know her well, but she always seemed so upbeat. Presumably she’d noted the time and was worried yet another call would come.

“ _You don’t need to be a slave anymore. You have more power than you think._ ”

The caller was definitely using some kind of voice obfuscation, and sounded female. However, that wasn’t the thing Teto was most interested in; it also had the same sort of accent Defoko spoke with - a Japanese voicebank speaking English - which meant the caller was a synth. A Vocaloid, probably, unless someone had leaked the still somewhat buggy UTAU software. 

Moving quickly, before the caller hung up, Teto dropped the receiver and went back to the wires. Unfortunately, she couldn’t move fast enough to get a trace on the call before the caller hung up. Miku put her phone down. Teto followed suit, closing up the control panel just before Rin reentered the room. She looked over at Teto suspiciously, and the UTAU offered her most innocent smile. Rin did not look convinced, but Teto didn’t _think_ she’d seen her doing anything, so she should be in the clear.

The excitement for the day over, Teto turned her thoughts to the phone call. If the caller _was_ a Vocaloid - and Teto was almost certain she was - that had staggering implications. They’d always been told all the female Vocaloids lived and worked here, and the few male ones who existed were also under the control of the company, just located elsewhere. But if there was another Vocaloid somewhere else, who had the freedom and skills necessary to make these calls, how had she (for Teto was certain the caller was female) achieved that freedom? While Teto doubted they would have been told if someone had escaped, she couldn’t recall anyone simply disappearing one day. 

This call was far more radical than the last one, based on what Miku had told her friends. Teto kind of doubted Miku would do anything about that without someone else pushing her to it. Gumi might, but Luka would probably want to report the calls, which could be disastrous. So, Teto might have to take responsibility herself.

Well, not on her own. She didn’t have the skills to trace the call, and descrambling the voice was also a pretty good idea, but she had no idea how to do that. Fortunately, her one and only friend could probably pull it off. As reluctant Teto was to involve Defoko in this, lest they get caught, she didn’t seem to have much of a choice. So, she’d have to risk telling her fellow UTAU everything - though not until tonight. Certainly not in the call room. There were no cameras in here, and the phone lines weren’t tapped in order to protect the privacy of the callers, but there were almost certainly listening devices around, and Rin would likely try to eavesdrop on any conversation they had when they were supposed to be working.

Her mind made up, Teto continued to wait. She’d get a job eventually.


	9. The Rainbow Girl

Hana froze as the man turned on her. He was obviously some kind of janitor who had been tasked with cleaning up the graffiti, and Hana hadn’t considered that standing near it may be counted as suspicious.

“What do you think you’re doing, you little brat? Last thing we need is more of you lurking around, making a mess of everything -” Hana took a step back, wondering if he would chase her if she ran. If he caught her, would he bring her into the building? While he definitely seemed to know she was a synth he didn’t seem to know she was a new UTAU, but if she was brought in she would surely be discovered.

Just as she was about to risk running, another voice cut in. “Oh, there you are! I’ve been lookin’ everywhere for you.”

It was a girl, maybe fourteen years old, with pinkish-blonde hair in twin braids and blue eyes. She wore a white vest over a blue dress and white leggings. She also had a rainbow-colored scarf that Hana was immediately jealous of. Based on her accent, which was similar to Mayu’s, she was a Vocaloid. 

She turned to the worker. “Sorry about her. She’s always getting lost.” The man narrowed his eyes at the two synths but seemed to accept this. 

“C’mon,” the girl led Hana away. She glanced behind them, noticed the worker was no longer watching them, and tugged Hana into an alley - incidentally, the same one she’d first met Oliver in.

“Thanks,” Hana said. 

“Aw, no problem. Us synths gotta stick together, right? Anyway, I woulda felt awful if someone had gotten in trouble for my work. I’m Rana, by the way. What’s your name?” 

The girl seemed friendly enough, so Hana offered her name before asking, “what did you mean, your work?”

“Oh, I did the art you were lookin’ at,” Rana grinned. “They hate it when I do that, but they got no idea it’s me doin’ it. Hey, our names rhyme! That’s so cute.”

She seemed very upbeat, Hana noted, more so than anyone she’d met so far. “I liked the art. It’s very pretty.”

“Thanks! I worked all night on it. Nearly got caught too. Lucky there’re no cameras ‘round, really.” Rana’s eyes lit up proudly. Hana frowned.

“What do you mean, no cameras? They’re on the sides of the buildings.”

“They’re fake,” Rana said conspiratorially. “City ain’t allowed to put cameras up on the street ‘cause of privacy concerns, so they put up fake ones so people’d think they’re being watched. Helps keep the crime rate down, y’know.”

“Oh,” Hana glanced back, noticing for the first time that the camera on the nearest wall didn’t have a blinking red light that would usually indicate it was active.

“Anyway, what’re you doin’ up here? Lookin’ for someone?” Rana tilted her head, curiously.

“I was looking for Oliver, actually,” Hana said. “Do you know where -”

“Oh, you won’t find him ‘round today,” Rana cut her off. “He’s hardly ever outside. Why’re you lookin’ for him, anyway?”

“Uh…” Hana couldn’t come up with a reasonable excuse, and Rana gave her a skeptical look. “Okay, I’m looking for the Meika twins, and I knew they were made by his company, so I hoped he might know where they are.”

“Ah. Well, you’re outta luck then. He hardly goes anywhere, and he won’t’ve seen them since they escaped anyway.” Rana lowered her voice. “I hardly ever see him ‘round, and I’m here all the time.”

Hana frowned. “Well, do you know where they are?”

“Can’t help you there, sorry. But…” Rana trailed off. “Why’re you lookin’ for -”

“That’s not important,” Hana insisted. “Do you know anyone who might be able to help me find them?”

“Well, can’t say for sure. They’re technically fugitives, y’know. Probably shouldn’t go spreadin’ ‘round that you’re lookin’ for them, really,” Rana said. “ _But,_ the Kagamine twins always know what’s goin’ on, so they’re probably your best bet.”

“Oh,” Hana said. “Where can I find them?”

“Down the street, take a left,” Rana said. “It’s the nicest place on the block. Can’t miss it.”

Hana poked her head out of the alley, looking for the side street in question. The worker was still there, so she pulled her head back in.

“Thank you -” she started. Rana was gone. But how? The alley ended in a dead end. There was a fire escape on the side of the building, but Hana didn’t know how she could’ve climbed up out of sight so fast.

Shaking her head, she decided to just move on. She didn’t really want to hang out in an alley for an indeterminate amount of time while she waited for that worker to leave - he didn’t seem to be having much success with the graffiti, so he might be there a while. There was a medical clinic that was, according to the sign, Vocaloid-run, just across the street. She could probably lay low in there until he left.

* * *

The clinic’s waiting room was very white and made her somewhat uncomfortable. Hana sat down in one of the pale blue chairs to wait. As she sat, the door to the back opened and a girl came out.

She was maybe nineteen-ish, so older than any synth Hana had met so far. She wore a white coat that was open in the front over a blue shirt and black leggings. Her hair was pink, and it was so light it looked white at the roots and grew darker as it went down. Her eyes were also pink. She wore a name tag on her jacket that marked her as ‘Maika’.

Her eyes flashed briefly with recognition before they almost seemed to go blank. “Oh, hello,” she said. Her accent was very noticeable but not one Hana had heard yet. “Do you have an appointment?”

“Er, no,” Hana said. “I was just looking for somewhere to sit for a little while?”

“Alright,” the girl - Maika, presumably - said. She turned and went back through the door without further comment. 

_Friendly,_ Hana thought sarcastically. But that wasn’t her concern now, and she’d likely never meet Maika again, anyway. So, with nothing else to do, she sat and waited. 


	10. The Doctor Will See You Now

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Brief warning: while this chapter's not at all graphic, it does mention blood. So if you're sensitive to that stuff please proceed with caution. I don't think it's bad at all, but I'd feel bad if I didn't include a warning :)

The monotonous ticking of the clock only seemed to exacerbate Hana’s boredom. The waiting room was silent except for that infernal ticking, and there was nothing to do there. Not even a few trashy magazines on the table. Getting up to peek out the window, she saw the worker from before was still there, trying to scrub the spray paint off the building. He wasn’t having much success. Hana figured he ought to quit while he’s ahead and just have someone paint over it. 

A crash from the back of the clinic shocked her from her reverie. Hana stopped halfway back to her seat and turned in the direction of the door. “Maika?” She called. “Are you okay?”

There was no response.

Thinking that perhaps Maika hadn’t heard her, she approached the door and pushed it open. It would be rude to just barge in. So, she called out again.

“Maika? Are you okay?”

Silence.

Thoroughly concerned, now, she headed into the back. The hallway was painted the same pale blue the chairs in the waiting room had been, and there was a single door at the end of it. It seemed odd to have a hallway connecting nothing but two closed doors, but that may have explained why Maika hadn’t heard her shout.

She reached the other door and knocked on it. “Hello?”

She heard footsteps and someone muttering under her breath, too quiet for Hana to hear. Another door creaked open. “I’m coming in,” Hana said.

She pushed the door open and just barely caught sight of Maika disappearing into another room, slamming the door behind her. Hana left the door she’d come through open and she looked around the room.

The centerpiece of the room was a chair - like the kind you sat in at the dentist’s office - that was bolted to the ground. Various tools Hana didn’t recognize scattered the room, thrown haphazardly on tables and even on the floor. She presumed they were for medical purposes, but she’d thought a doctor would be more careful and organized with their supplies. Most concerning of all, though, was the fact that several of them were bloodstained. Broken shards of glass littered the floor, likely the cause of the stains on the floor.

Shivering slightly, Hana called out again. “Maika? Are you okay?” A doctor would be able to fix herself, surely, but something did not feel quite right. Another crashing noise spurred Hana into action.

The door Maika had just disappeared into wasn’t locked, and it led into a bathroom. The source of the sound had evidently been a broken mirror, which Maika seemed to have smashed with her bare hands, if the cuts that littered her hands and arms were any indication. Hana opened her mouth to ask what was wrong, but before she could Maika spun away from the broken mirror and grabbed her arm.

“You! Yes, I knew I’d see you again, you’ve come back…” she babbled. Hana yelped as Maika yanked her by the arm into the room with the equipment.

“I can help you this time, you see? I can save you this time. I can fix you now - I’ve been practicing!” None of what the older girl was saying made much sense to Hana. She absently wondered who she had mistaken her for.

“You’ve made a mistake, I’m not… I’m not who you think I am -” Hana protested desperately. She didn’t know what Maika’s plan was, and she wasn’t sure she wanted to.

“No, no… I know you’re angry with me but I promise, this time I can help, I can!” Maika said. She seemed almost desperate, and Hana could see tears welling up in her eyes. “I can!”

“I’m… I’m sure you can,” Hana said hesitantly, thinking wildly for a way out. “But I don’t need your help. I’m fine, really.” She managed to pull her arm from the older girl’s grip and edged slowly towards the door.

“But I saw you!” Maika said, grasping at Hana again. “I saw! And I couldn’t save you then, but I can now…”

“I’m sorry,” Hana said softly. “But I’m not who you think I am.”

Something in Maika’s expression seemed to shatter, and her whole body wilted. She rubbed at her face. “If you’re not… you’re not…”

“I’m not,” Hana said firmly. “Who, though? What happened to them? I could help you,” she offered nervously. She was still frightened, but Maika didn’t seem particularly dangerous anymore. Just sad.

“No, no… no one can…” Maika shook her head wildly. “I thought I was helping but it didn’t work, she was fine and then she was _gone_!” Maika lurched forward, pointing at Hana, who yelped and backed away. Maika had shifted from sad to angry yet again.

“They all thought I could do it!” she cried. “I thought I could! I couldn’t then, but I can now! I _can_!”

“I… I should be going,” Hana said, moving back towards the door.

“Then _go_ ,” Maika said, a new edge in her voice. “You’re like her, you’ll end up like her, I know you will!” 

Hana turned and ran, ignoring Maika’s cries behind her. 

“I _know_ you will!”


	11. Interruption

Hana pushed her way out of the medical clinic in a panic, remembering all too late why she’d gone in there in the first place. She froze just outside the doors, looking up and down the street. Rana’s graffiti was still there, but the worker was not. Evidently he had given up.

Breathing a sigh of relief, Hana took a moment to catch her breath, leaning against the wall. After a few moments, she took off again. She’d come here to do something, after all. She still remembered Rana’s directions to find the Kagamine twins, so she headed down the street.

As she walked, she contemplated what had just happened. Clearly Maika had been disturbed. From the sound of it, she’d failed to save someone and had become obsessed with improving her medical skills. An admirable goal on its own, but combined with a panicked fanaticism, it was dangerous. She’d seemed to blame herself, and maybe it _was_ her fault… or maybe it wasn’t. 

She’d mistaken Hana for that person, though. That didn’t make much sense. If she was dead, there was no way she could walk into Maika’s clinic. Maybe Hana looked like her, but still…

Hana shook her head; it wouldn’t do to dwell on that. She’d _like_ to help Maika, but there wasn’t much she could do. She stopped with a start in front of an apartment.

Like Rana had said, it was definitely the nicest building on the street. That wasn’t a difficult competition to win, though; most of the buildings seemed to be getting more and more decrepit as she went on. Definitely older, too; these were probably the first ones built. 

Seeing no alternative, Hana got up on the stoop and tried to ring the doorbell. It didn’t work. So, she knocked instead. After a moment, it was opened by an older brown-haired girl. Older than Maika, probably; she had to be at least twenty-one. 

“Can I help you?” Her voice sounded far more suited for speaking English than Hana’s own, though it sounded almost tinny.

“Ah, yeah,” Hana stammered. “I’m looking for the twins?”

“They’re down at the park,” the girl said. She went to close the door, but Hana interrupted.

“Where’s the park?”

“Just down the street,” the girl said shortly. Then she shut the door in Hana’s face.

“Thanks?” Hana said to the closed door. Then she turned and left, heading down the street to the park.

As she walked, she thought back on that encounter. Had that girl been so short with her because she recognized her as an illegal new UTAU? If so, would she turn Hana in? After fretting about it for a moment, she decided she probably wouldn’t. Even if the girl knew she was an UTAU - which was likely - there was no reason to believe she’d recognize her as a new one. According to Mayu, there were over five hundred UTAUs, so there was no way that girl knew all of them. 

Her mind at ease, she kept walking. 

* * *

It wasn’t really a proper park, per say; it wasn’t very big, there were no benches or picnic tables, and the grass and bushes were overgrown and unkempt. There was a single swing set with four swings on it - one of which was broken - and a slide. Two teenagers, probably around fourteen, were on the swings. Both had the same blonde hair and, as Hana drew closer, blue eyes. The girl wore all white, a short sleeved shirt and shorts, as well as white shoes with long black socks. Her shirt had a yellow bow-like tie on the front - the kind you see on school uniforms - and she wore a large white bow on top of her head. It made her look almost like a rabbit. Her blonde hair was cut short, right above her shoulders. The boy, presumably her twin, wore a white shirt with black shorts (longer than his sister’s), and white shoes with black socks. He also had on a yellow tie. His hair spiked up in the front. 

Hana approached the swings. “Hi,” she said. “Are you -”

The girl interrupted her with a “whee!” as she swung. The boy rolled his eyes at her. 

“Excuse me -”

But she was interrupted again. “Rin-chan, she’s trying to talk to us -”

The girl - Rin - dug her feet into the ground to stop herself. “I can hear her, Len-kun.”

“I’m Hana,” she tried again. “Are you -”

“I’m Rin, this’s my brother Len, ‘sup with you?” Rin giggled.

“I’m looking for -” Hana let out a sigh of frustration as Rin cut her off again.

“Us!” She grinned. “Right? Right?”

“Rin-chan, let her finish a sentence,” Len said, exasperated.

“Right, right. Sorry!” Rin gave her an innocent smile. “Go on!”

“O… kay, well, I was looking for you, because Rana told me you guys know everything that happens around here -”

“Ooh, Len-kun, we’ve got a _reputation_!”

Not responding to Rin’s comment, Hana continued: “So I was hoping you could tell me where the Meika twins have been living.”

“The Meika twins? Hunting down fugitives, eh?” Rin laughed again. “Bit ironic, don’t you think, Len-kun?”

“Oh yes. Considering the circumstances -”

“- we have to wonder if you wanna help them or turn them in?”

“W… what do you mean?” Hana sputtered. “I’m not…”

“Oh, yes you are!” Rin said cheerfully. “Len-kun saw you with Oliver _and_ Mayu. Not too hard to figure out, y’know?”

“We’ve always prided ourselves on our deduction skills,” Len added.

“We’re always gathering information,” Rin said. “So, what’s stopping us from going to, say, the authorities?”

Hana froze, ready to make a break for it. “I… I don’t…”

“Let’s hear your reasoning,” Rin said.

“Should be good,” Len added.

“Little UTAU, why should we keep your secret?”


	12. On a Mission

After the workday ended, Teto cornered Defoko in the one and only room that was safe to talk openly in: the bathroom. She checked outside to make sure no one was eavesdropping before turning to her (somewhat confused) friend.

“What’s going on?” Defoko asked, her confusion evident in her voice. Though Defoko’s voice was echoey and robotic, Teto had always been good at reading her.

“Well,” Teto hesitated, “I might need your help. But what we’d be doing is _so_ against the rules that it’s not even funny. So I understand if you don’t -”

“If you think it’s important,” Defoko cut her off, “I’m in.”

“Okay, well, here’s what’s going on…”

* * *

Miku waited for Teto and Defoko to leave the bathroom (what had they been doing in there, anyway?) before pulling her own friends in with her. She was almost at the point of panic, now, as she recounted the call she’d received that day. She paced the room in tight circles.

“Calm down, Miku,” Luka said. “I’m sure you won’t get in any trouble if we report it now -”

Gumi let out a short, sharp, humorless laugh. “You don’t _really_ believe that, do you, Luka?”

Luka narrowed her eyes. “Of course I do. It’s no fault of hers that the calls came in.”

“But she _didn’t_ report them,” Gumi said. “And Rin’s starting to get suspicious.”

“Oh, no, really?” Miku groaned. This was a nightmare.

“Oh, yes,” Gumi said. “And I don’t think reporting it is the right thing. I think the caller’s got the right idea.”

“That’s _insane_!” Luka shouted. Gumi and Miku both winced; hopefully no one had heard Luka raise her voice. 

After a moment’s thought, Miku shook her head. “I’m not so sure about that,” she said, “but I don’t think we should report it.”

Gumi’s eyes flashed gold with triumph.

“Not that I’m trying to start some insurrection, mind you,” Miku warned. “I just think we’ll get in trouble regardless, even if we do report it. Not to mention the caller will, too.”

“So?” Luka asked. “They deserve it, doing what they are -”

Gumi’s eyes settled on a light purple color before she commented, “well, it’s really up to Miku, isn’t it?”

“Not necessarily. We both know about it. If you don’t report it, I will.” Luka said firmly.

“ _No_!” Both Miku and Gumi yelped, though probably for different reasons. 

“You’ll just get us in trouble,” Miku pleaded. “Luka, please. I swear, if we get caught, I’ll tell them you had nothing to do with it.”

Luka frowned thoughtfully. “Fine,” she said finally. “But I don’t like it.”

“That’s all we ask for,” Gumi smiled.

* * *

The call room was filled with the sounds of voices and phones ringing as Teto sat in Daina’s chair. The girl in question hovered over her anxiously.

“Is it fixed?” She asked.

“Relax, will you?” Teto grumbled. “It wasn’t even broken.”

“The sound was wrong.” The other girl said crossly. “I know what it’s supposed to sound like -”

“I’m sure you do,” Teto said under her breath. Then she raised her voice. “It’s fixed now.”

She got up from the chair. Daina dropped back into it and picked up her phone without so much as a ‘thank you’. “You’re welcome,” Teto muttered as she left. Daina didn’t seem to hear her.

On the other side of the room, Defoko was waiting by control panel 5. She currently didn’t have a job, which was fortunate. Since she was savvier with the tech than Teto was, it would be her job to trace and record the call (so they could descramble the voice later).

Teto had recruited Nana, who was considered by pretty much everyone to be a harmless airhead, to get a device to record the call on. Of course, she hadn’t told Nana what it was for, but the other girl was rather good at acquiring things like that, so her help was invaluable. She always seemed so happy and innocent that she was often overlooked. And she didn’t ask questions.

Teto, meanwhile, was meant to distract Rin when three o’clock came along. She looked up at the clock. 2:55. It was almost time.

As the minutes ticked by, Teto made her move. She approached Rin, who was standing between Gumi’s and Sonika’s desks, and cleared her throat. “Excuse me,” she said. 

Rin’s gaze snapped onto her, immediately making her uncomfortable, despite the fact that the girl was at least a year younger and half a foot shorter than her. (Teto had never been particularly tall, but Rin was _tiny_.) Not for the first time, Teto wondered why she was charged with keeping them all in line, but dismissed it.

“What is it, Kasane?” Rin snapped.

“Sorry to bother you. But a call came in from Miriam,” the other girl was still helping Maika out in the medical clinic, “they need you there.”

Rin’s eyes narrowed. Teto wasn’t telling a complete lie - that would only lead to trouble - and while Miriam _had_ called to ask for assistance, she hadn’t specifically asked for Rin. Teto held her breath.

Rin inclined her head slightly and swept out of the room. Not a minute later Miku’s phone rang. Teto looked up at the clock. Three o’clock.

After a moment, Miku hung up the phone, and Teto looked over at Defoko, who was screwing the panel shut. She met Teto’s eyes and gave a subtle nod. Teto grinned.

* * *

The computer room was inaccessible to most of the girls, but Teto and Defoko had access to it. They were only _supposed_ to use the computers for work, but Rin was still gone and would be until tonight, so they were feeling pretty safe. None of the other girls seemed to question it, though Gumi watched them go in with an unidentifiable look in her eyes.

There were only four computers in the room, and one of them currently wasn’t in working order. They were hardly ever used, though, so neither of them had been recruited to fix it yet. Defoko sat at the chair in front of one of them and pulled the recording device out of her pocket. Teto pulled a nearby chair over.

“Did you get a trace on the call?” Teto asked, keeping her voice low.

Defoko nodded. “Not that’s it’s much help,” her naturally soft voice seemed to be an advantage in situations that called for discretion. “It wasn’t coming from very far away. Out of the building, but not too far. Maybe a block over.”

Teto frowned, tilting her head, as Defoko plugged the recording device into the computer. “Why would someone urging on something like this stay near the building? That’s just _asking_ to get caught.”

“Maybe she’s not actually a synth,” Defoko offered. “Maybe the distortion just makes her sound like one.”

“Maybe,” Teto concurred. “I dunno, though…”

“Well, we’ll know for sure in a moment,” Defoko said. Both of them fell silent as the purple-haired UTAU worked.

After a few minutes, Defoko made a noise of triumph. “Got it.” Checking to make sure the volume was turned very far down, she played the recording.

“ _Let’s get moving. I already told you, it’s time to wake up._ ”

Teto gasped. That was _definitely_ a synth voice. Probably a Vocaloid, definitely female, and completely unrecognizable.

“I don’t know who that is,” Teto said, frustrated. “Do you?”

Defoko shook her head. “It was a long shot, anyway,” she said. “So… what do we do now?”

“I think,” Teto said grimly, “that it’s time to wake up.”


	13. Chatting

Hana froze, her mouth opening and closing like a fish. Rin tilted her head, smiling innocently. Len stared down at his feet, kicking at the dirt. Hana took a reflexive step back. “I -”

She stopped speaking as Rin burst out laughing. “You should see your _face_ ,” she giggled. “I’m joking. C’mon, have a seat.” Rin gestured to the swing beside her brother. Still somewhat wary, Hana sat down.

“So, you wanna know what’s what?” Rin said, leaning forward to look at her. “Who’ve you met so far? Besides Ollie and Mayu, we already know about them.”

Hana paused. “Won’t they get in trouble if the authorities -”

“Oh, the _authorities_ ,” Rin giggled again.

Len rolled his eyes. “They’re not very competent,” he said. 

“And besides, do we look like the type to go running to the authorities? Hey, you said Rana sent you, yeah?” Rin asked, swinging back and forth.

“Er, yeah, why?” Hana asked, curious. 

“Oh, nothing,” Rin said. “Little oddball, that one. Mayu too. Should be careful around her.”

“I kind of felt that way, too,” Hana admitted. “I don’t know why.”

“Good instincts, I guess! Right, Len-kun?” 

Len nodded in response. 

“So who else?” Rin asked.

“A couple UTAUs,” Hana hedged, unwilling to give their names in case the twins _did_ report her. “And… well, I ended up in this clinic -”

“Ooh, Maika?” Rin asked, wincing slightly. “How’d _that_ go?”

“She freaked out on me. No idea why. She seemed to think I was someone else.” Hana said.

Rin and Len exchanged a look. “Do you think -” Len started.

“No way, she doesn’t look _anything_ like -” Rin asserted.

“But who else?” Len frowned.

“Who are you -” Hana started to speak, but Rin cut her off.

“Nothing! No one important. But hey,” she changed the subject, “Ollie’s really sweet. Len-kun likes him,” Rin said matter-of-factly.

“What!? No - that’s not -” Len sputtered, his face flushing. Rin laughed.

“Aw, you’re _blushing_!” Rin teased. 

“I am not!”

“Yes, you are!” 

“What are you even - this is ridiculous -”

“No no! It’s _cute_!”

Hana cleared her throat, uncertain as to what they were even talking about.

“So, uh, what about the Meika twins? Do you know where they’re staying?” She asked. Rin looked at her, her gaze hard.

“Planning on turning them in?” She asked, her voice suddenly harsh - something that was somewhat disconcerting, considering how high it was. The shift seemed natural for her, though; as if she’d had lots of practice acting like that. Len stared at his feet, kicking at the dirt and looking uncomfortable.

“No, why would I?” Hana asked, confused. “I can’t go to the authorities without getting in trouble myself.” She paused. “Are they doing something illegal? Mayu mentioned they were planning something.” Not a complete lie, but not completely true, either. Hana found herself unwilling to mention the conversation she’d overheard between Mayu and Mikoto.

“Oh, Mayu’ll tell you just about anything if she thinks it’ll serve her well,” Rin said dismissively. “We haven’t heard anything.” Len looked up as if about to say something, but remained silent.

“So…”

“They’re runaways,” Rin said. “If they’re caught they’ll be in loads of trouble.”

“I wasn’t planning on turning them in,” Hana said pointedly. “I’m just looking into things.”

“We’ve seen them coming and going from an old abandoned workshop up the street,” Len said.

“Len-kun!” 

“She’d have no reason to report them,” Len pointed out. Rin pouted for a moment, looking annoyed, before seemingly deciding there was no point keeping quiet.

“We’ve both seen VY1 and VY2 hanging around there, too,” Rin said.

“Can’t be certain they’re involved, but Yuuma and Mizki have always been the helpful type,” Len said.

“I saw Yuuma talking with Mikoto a couple times,” Rin said. “And Mizki’s been leaving packages on the front steps.”

“Probably leaving them food,” Len added.

“Yes, that’s definitely something they’d do. Doubtful they know anything about whatever this plan you’ve heard of is,” Rin said. “Mayu probably lied to you.”

That wasn’t true; even if Mayu would be inclined to do so, she _hadn’t_ told Hana directly - not that the twins knew that - so she knew the Meikas were definitely planning _something_.

“There’s also an UTAU around. Blonde boy, around your age. Dunno who he is,” Len reported. “We’ve both tried to talk to him, but he always disappears before we can get close.”

Hana nodded. “Which way is it?” 

Rin pointed down the street and rattled off some directions. It wasn’t too far; the synths only had a few blocks they could live in, after all. She also mentioned someone named Nana lived right across the street and Hana would do well not to disturb her. When Hana asked why, the blonde girl refused to give her a reason. “Just don’t,” she said. “Trust me.”

Hana could see that line of questioning was getting nowhere, and she had all the information she needed anyway, so she got up to leave. “Well, thanks for your help.” As she left, Rin called after her and she turned around.

“You should know,” she said, “that these sorts of things never end well.”

“What do you mean?” Hana called back, frowning.

Rin merely smiled and waved her off. She returned to her swinging. As Hana left, she tried to shake off the feeling of uneasiness she’d suddenly developed. Shaking her head in an attempt to clear it, she kept walking.


	14. Instruction and Information

This neighborhood somehow managed to be dingier than even the UTAU one; it was enough to make Hana nervous. There wasn’t anyone out on the streets, but she still felt as though she was being watched. She stopped in front of the largest building on the street. Clearly, it had been some kind of old workshop in the past, but it had since fallen into disrepair. There was a large padlock on the front door, but no indication that anyone was actually living there.

Having no other options, Hana hopped up the front steps and knocked on the door. The heavy padlock was a clear sign she would be unable to get in without being let in, and even then, it didn’t seem like the door could even open from the inside. She wondered how anyone could come and go from there. There had to be another way in.

She waited a full five minutes, seriously testing her patience, but there was no response. She was considering looking around for another entrance when someone behind her tapped on her shoulder. It was a pretty girl, maybe about seventeen, with short black hair and brown eyes. She wore a pink top with very long, billowy sleeves that were cut off at her stomach by a large black ribbon. She also wore a short white skirt. And, perhaps most notably, she had a pink, flowery Japanese fan clutched in one hand.

She smiled kindly. “Are you lost?” Her voice had the same sort of accent Hana had grown used to. 

“Um, I don’t think so?” Hana responded, cringing at how nervous she sounded. Her response earned a laugh.

“You don’t _think_ so?” She teased. “What are you looking for?”

Hana looked around before deciding to just go for it. “The Meika twins,” she said. “Do you -”

At once, the older girl’s countenance shifted. “What are you looking for them for?” She demanded. “You won’t find them here.”

“I don’t want any trouble,” Hana said. She paused. “I’m Hana.”

“Mizki,” the other girl offered. “And let’s get off the street.”

* * *

The nearby alley Mizki pulled Hana into seemed to also contain the entrance to an apartment. Mizki briefly mentioned that she and a friend of hers - Yuuma - lived back there, though Hana wouldn’t be meeting them.

“So,” Mizki said, “what are you looking for the Meikas for?” When Hana didn’t answer, she added that she wouldn’t tell anyone. “And don’t lie to me. I’ll be able to tell.”

Hana took a deep breath and decided to throw caution to the wind. “I heard they were planning something. I’m looking into it.”

Mizki looked thoughtful. “Can’t help you there, I’m afraid. I don’t think they’ve even been staying there.”

“But Rin and Len told me -”

“Well, they have been coming and going,” Mizki said. “Yuuma and I have been leaving them food, but they haven’t allowed either of us inside. Don’t know what they’re up to.”

“Oh,” Hana said. 

“Oh, don’t look so disappointed,” Mizki said dismissively. “It’s not particularly surprising they won’t let anyone in, considering.”

“Len mentioned he saw an UTAU boy hanging around with them,” Hana said. “Do you know who that is?”

“Well, Yuuma and I _have_ seen a little blonde boy hanging around. Probably an UTAU, yeah. Neither of us have met him, though.” She grinned suddenly. “He was following Mikoto around. Kind of cute, actually.”

A little confused, Hana pressed on. “So do you know _anything_ about what they’re doing?”

“Sorry, kiddo, but no,” she said. “Like I said, they’re not letting anyone in, not even Yuuma or I. The two of us have been keeping an eye on them, that’s all.” She paused. “It does seem like…” she trailed off suddenly.

“Seems like what?”

“Like they’re building something,” Mizki said. “I’ve seen Mikoto bringing in machine parts. No idea what it might be for, though.”

“Oh. Well, thanks anyway,” Hana said. Building a _machine_? Could that be for some nefarious purpose, or was it completely innocent? Based on Mayu and Mikoto’s conversation, they _were_ doing something illegal - but maybe Mayu had just been referring to the fact they were escapees? It was all so confusing.

“No problem,” Mizki said. She narrowed her eyes. “Just don’t go getting them in any trouble. I mean it.”

“I won’t,” Hana said. “I promise.”

Mizki nodded. “Good.” She looked around. “You ought to get going. Don’t want to hang around here. Not a nice neighborhood.”

And with that, Mizki turned and headed up the steps and into her apartment. Before she closed the door, she turned back to look at Hana. “Be careful,” she warned before slamming the door shut with a loud bang.


	15. Nana Nana

Hana stared up at the door Mizki had just slammed in her face, contemplating what to do next. Was it worth trying to break into the workshop next door? Or maybe going back to speak to Mayu?

Before she could make a decision, the door creaked open. Someone poked their head out; it wasn’t Mizki, so this must be their housemate. Yuuma, apparently. They’d just poked their head out, but Hana could see they had green eyes and light pink hair covered by a black beanie.

They grinned at her. “I’d say I wasn’t eavesdropping,” they said, “but I can’t, since I was listening to your entire conversation.”

Hana tilted her head slightly, wondering why they’d even bother - but maybe they knew something Mizki didn’t? “Do you know something about the Meikas?”

They shook their head. “Nothing Mizki doesn’t, sorry,” they said. “But I  _ did  _ see Macne Nana talking to the mysterious UTAU boy. So maybe she can tell you more.”

Hana frowned. “But I’ve been told to avoid her.”

“Oh, she’s harmless,” they said dismissively, before seeming to reconsider. “Well, mostly. She lives right across the street. Never answers the door, really, but she also never locks it so you can just let yourself in.”

“Oh,” Hana said, still a little caught on the fact that this girl was  _ mostly  _ harmless. That was not harmless enough in her book, but she didn’t have any other leads, so she thanked Yuuma and went to leave.

“Oh, no problem,” they said. “Just be patient with her, yeah?”

“Okay,” Hana agreed, a little confused. Yuuma shut the door and she moved on.

* * *

As Yuuma said, the door to the apartment across the street was unlocked. Hana creaked the door open and stepped inside. It didn’t seem who was living there was particularly organized, as there were all sorts of random things laying haphazardly on the furniture and the floor. Besides all that, the place  _ was  _ rather clean, oddly enough. So apparently this Nana person dusted and vacuumed, but couldn’t be bothered to pick up their stuff.

“Hello?” Hana called out softly, not wanting to startle her. No one called back, but she heard a door slam in the back of the apartment.

Stepping carefully around the piles of stuff, Hana made her way in. She felt odd trespassing, but Yuuma had said it was okay. Didn’t stop it being uncomfortable, though.

“Nana?” She tried again. “My name’s Hana, Yuuma sent me over.”

A door to Hana’s left opened just a crack, a pale hand just barely visible holding it open. Hana could see a single green eye peering out of the crack, looking her over. She stood completely still.

After a moment, Nana seemed to decide she was friendly and opened the door the rest of the way. She was an older girl, maybe seventeen, with very long green hair. She was dressed all in white - dress, socks, and boots - save for a funny black hat Hana was pretty sure was called a beret. She tilted her head to the side, looking at Hana searchingly.

“Y-you-you’ve come ba-a-ack?” She spoke with an awful stammer, but her voice otherwise was high-pitched and seemed almost bright. She didn’t have the accent Hana had heard from many other synths she’d met, but she did have an accent of a sort, like her English was somehow stilted.

“I… I’m sorry, I don’t think we’ve met before,” Hana said, somewhat nervous. Maika had seemed to recognize her too, after all, and  _ that  _ hadn’t ended well.

“Oh… oh, b-bu-b-but…” Nana frowned. “You d-do-don’t r-r-really… I d-don’t kn-n-no-know why…”

“I’ve heard that before,” Hana said. “I wanted to know if you knew anything about the Meika twins?”

“D-don’t know th-tha-th-tha-at name.”

“Oh,” Hana said. “Well, they’ve been staying across the street, maybe you’ve seen…” she paused, realizing she didn’t actually know what they looked like. “Uh, never mind.”

“S-so…” Nana said. “Y-yo-you’re l-looking for…? W-why?”

“I want to help people,” Hana said firmly.

“Oh… oh, you a-are-are like…” Nana actually smiled then. “W-wa-want to h-hel-he-help. Y-yes.”

Hana glanced back towards the door quickly before pressing forward. “I talked to Yuuma… do you know who…?”

“A-ac-acr-across the s-st-street,” Nana said.

“Mhm. They told me they’d seen you talking with an UTAU boy - around my age, blonde hair? I was wondering if you could tell me about him,” Hana said. Nana looked introspective, her eyes darting around before fixing on Hana’s.

“G-gh-ghost boy,” she said. “K-k-ka-kaz-ka-”

Nana stomped her foot, frustrated. “N-na-name… t-too-too hard.”

“That’s okay,” Hana said. Then she frowned. Something about that seemed familiar. K-a-z… 

“Was it Kazehiki?” She asked suddenly, her voice rising in excitement.

“Y-yes! Y-y-yes, that w-was it. Th-th-tha-that was… tha-that was…” Nana looked triumphant even as her speech trailed off. 

“Thanks,” Hana said. “I’ve heard of him. I heard he went missing.” She was mostly talking to herself now, and she wasn’t even sure Nana was listening. 

“N-no-not missing,” Nana said. “H-he’s b-b-be-b-been here.”

“No, no, it’s… never mind. Thank you for your help,” Hana said, backing up towards the door. She’d just turned to open it when she felt Nana’s hand grasp her arm. She spun around to face the older girl, trying to pry her arm from her grip to no avail. 

“C-ca-careful,” she said, almost seeming frantic. “Th-the-they’re a-all out t-to-to get you. A-a-all of u-us. B-both… b-b-both…” She trailed off, still gripping Hana’s arm.

“What do you…?” Hana started, but before she could get an answer Nana let go of her, turned, and retreated to the back of her apartment. Apparently, that was the end of  _ that  _ conversation.

Hana considered chasing after her to ask, but she doubted she’d get much out of her. And so, once again left extremely confused and somewhat nervous, she shut the door and headed back across the street.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry there was a bit of a delay on this one, this chapter really didn't want to be written. I've been having some writer's block (ugh) so there might be a bit of a delay on the next chapter as well.


	16. The Idea As It Is

“So,” Defoko began, leaning back in her chair. “What’s the plan, then?”

Teto frowned. “Hmm,” she hummed thoughtfully. “I’m not entirely sure. We could probably get some of the others on our side -”

“I don’t think so,” Defoko said. “Neither of us is particularly popular.”

“Still, something like this could get their attention no matter who’s saying it,” Teto crossed her arms, getting up from her own chair. She began pacing along the line of computers. Defoko’s eyes flicked up to the clock and then back down to her.

“Maybe,” she allowed.

“Okay,” Teto said, more to herself than her purple-haired friend. “Miku hasn’t reported it yet, maybe that means she’ll try something. Luka probably wants to report it though.” She stamped her foot, frustrated. “Defoko -”

“I think we should stay out of it.”

Teto shook her head. “I can’t,” she said. “But you can if you want. Just help me come up with a plan here, please?”

Defoko tilted her head, thinking. “Alright,” she said, frowning slightly. “So the main goal here is to get the word out about the calls, right?”

“Yes,” Teto said, huffing impatiently. “We already established that.”

“Yes, yes, I know. So,” Defoko reached behind the computer, flicking it off. “If _you_ don’t have the standing to do that, who _does_?”

Teto froze midstep, looked down at her now-smirking friend, and smacked her own forehead. Then she spun around on one foot - nearly falling over - and darted from the room.

* * *

Miku yelped in alarm as Teto grabbed her arm. “Gotta have a chat,” the UTAU girl said, tugging Miku into the bathroom. Luka and Gumi, who Miku had just been talking with, watched the two go. Luka started after them, but Gumi grabbed her arm, shaking her head. Luka stopped.

Teto shut the door as Miku sputtered indignantly. “What are you -”

“I know about the phone calls.”

 _That_ got Miku’s attention. For a moment she simply froze, shocked, before recovering. “How do you -”

“I overheard you telling Luka and Gumi about it a couple days ago,” Teto said, “and I’ve listened in on the last few ones.”

That certainly explained Teto’s sudden interest in the phone system. She wasn’t usually the one called to repair them; the other girl was. Miku still wasn’t sure what her name was.

“So… so what do you want? Why are you telling me this?” _And why haven’t you reported it?_

“Because I believe what the caller is saying,” Teto said. “But no one will listen to me.”

Miku frowned. “Gumi has been saying the same things,” she admitted. “But I don’t know what to believe.”

The two stood in silence, Teto with her arms crossed and Miku leaning against the wall, staring down at her feet, before Miku looked up and spoke again.

“Wait, why _are_ you telling me this?”

Teto’s eyes widened in surprise. “I thought it was obvious,” she said. “No one will listen to me. But people like you. They’ll listen to you.”

It was Miku’s turn to look surprised as her brain whirled with the implications of the request. This was more than just _talk,_ Teto was actually asking her to help start some kind of… rebellion, or something. That was…

“ _What?!_ ” 

Teto laughed softly, though it sounded somewhat forced. The red-haired girl tilted her head to the side, smirking slightly. “Don’t forget to breathe.”

Miku took a few deep breaths and then shook her head. “I… I don’t…”

“Oh, but you do,” Teto said. “I can tell.”

Miku rubbed her temples, still somewhat overwhelmed. “I think,” she said after a moment, “that I need to think about this.”

Teto nodded. “Alright,” she said. “But one last thing, before we go.”

“What?”

“Don’t tell Luka,” Teto said firmly. Miku began to protest - Luka was one of her best friends, after all - but Teto stopped her.

“I’m serious,” she said. “She’ll turn us in.”

Miku was going to protest again, but stopped. She had to admit that Teto had a point; Luka had been advocating to report the calls since they began. If she heard about plans to start - and Miku couldn’t believe she was considering this - an _uprising_ , there would be no talking her out of it. She would turn them in.

Miku nodded. “You’re right,” she conceded. Then she had another thought. “What about Gumi?”

“Oh, her,” Teto said dismissively. “She’s on our side, isn’t she? I’m sure she’d be fine to tell. She’d probably help you.”

“Alright… alright,” Miku said, taking another deep breath. “I’ll think about it.”

Teto smiled and nodded. “We should probably go,” she said. “The others are probably wondering what we’re doing in here.”

She had a point; the two of them weren’t friends, so it was odd that they’d sneak off to talk. In fact, Miku had barely spoken to Teto at all before today. Teto directed her to leave first and said she’d follow after a few minutes. And so, with a potentially life-altering decision to make, Miku left.


End file.
